| Topic: |
Religions > Bible |
| User: |
"Homeland Security" |
| Date: |
22 Jun 2005 02:16:37 PM |
| Object: |
Ritual beating of children is rife in Britain |
Ritual beating of children is rife in Britain, study says
By Nicola Woolcock
TRAFFICKED children are being sacrificed in Britain during
witchcraft ceremonies, according to a leaked report commissioned by police.
Its authors say that parents and carers who believe that their
children are possessed by evil spirits are allowing them to be abused and
even murdered.
The report also suggests that children are smuggled into Britain
as slaves or prostitutes for HIV-positive men, who believe that they will be
"cleansed" by having sex with a child.
Two weeks ago three adults were convicted of beating and
starving an eight-year-old girl in their care who they thought was a witch.
The ten-month investigation into the beliefs of African and
Asian communities towards ritualistic abuse was commissioned last year by
the Metropolitan Police.
It found that "people who are desperate will seek out witchcraft
experts to cast spells for them . . . For a spell to be powerful it required
a sacrifice involving a male child unblemished by circumcision."
Members of a workshop attended by the authors of the report
alleged that "boy children are being trafficked into the UK for this
purpose".
They reported that "specific details were not forthcoming as the
belief was that they would be 'dead meat' if we tell you any more".
The inquiry comes after the murders of Victoria Climbié and
Adam, the African boy whose torso was found in the Thames and who is thought
to have been a victim of ritual killing. The inquiry was carried out in two
London boroughs - Hackney and Newham - by a social worker and a lawyer who
have a background in dealing with child abuse. They said that the
allegations could not be proved but expressed concern that children could be
in life-threatening situations.
The unshakable belief in witchcraft has become a tenet of
certain evangelical churches, which mix traditional beliefs about sorcery
with fundamentalist Christian teachings.
Dozens of churches have mushroomed across the capital and then
just as rapidly disappeared. Some are attended by just a handful of people
at worshippers' houses before they are closed and moved on.
Experts believe that hundreds of children attending these places
of worship are at risk of being beaten or starved during exorcism ceremonies
to rid them of evil spirits.
The report indicated that church pastors denounce certain
children as witches, who then suffer violence at the hands of their parents.
It says that the preachers and their churches are a "lucrative
business" operating throughout Britain, Europe and Africa.
"A number of pastors maintain that God speaks to them and lets
them know when someone is possessed . . . They would not accept that they
played a major role in inciting such violence," it said.
The report was leaked to the BBC Radio 4 Today programme but
Perdeep Gill, one of its authors, spoke to The Times about her findings.
She discovered widespread and cross-generational belief in
possession - and that "possessed" children were abandoned or ostracised. If
parents stood by their children, the whole family would be rejected by the
community.
Some pastors used worshippers' fear of being accused of
witchcraft to control congregations and denounced children, knowing full
well what treatment would then be meted out.
Ms Gill said: "Abuse was more likely to be seen if people were
looking after a child that was not theirs, and witchcraft was often blamed
for a perceived problem in the child - from bedwetting to rebellion.
"Pastors claim that problems are caused by possession, although
most said the best solution was prayer and fasting. But they know the
implications for the child. The way of dealing with it in Africa is through
beating - to death in some cases. We told them they couldn't distance
themselves from it. "More people believed in witchcraft than didn't and
there are tons of small churches, with pastors moving from church to
church." Sita Kisanga, 36, Sebastian Pinto, 33, and the aunt of the
eight-year-old girl accused of being a witch face lengthy jail terms when
sentenced next month for abusing the child.
Richard Hoskins, a specialist in African studies who advises
police, said that known cases in Britain were probably the tip of the
iceberg but that there was a lack of communication between agencies. "There
needs to be a government task force to investigate these churches and
whether they should be registered," he said.
Source: The Times online
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Do not fall in womens traps Have Faith Love & Spirituallity
Articulate the way we live and cellebrate
John 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come
that they may have life, and have it to the full.
John 10:9-11
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